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There are have been some great pre-game speeches, but when John Hufnagel joined the list with his inspiring message to the troops prior to the 2008 Grey Cup in Montreal, he wasn’t channelling any coaches who’d come before him.

Nope, his “Men, we’ve got them right where we want them” speech was, in fact, inspired by a group of men who were more known for silly walks, dead parrots and lumberjacks.

“I was trying to use a little Monty Python humour,” revealed the Calgary Stampeders coach and GM with a chuckle on Monday. “I’m a little bit of a fan.”

Hufnagel was channelling the philosophy espoused by the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail — even when the odds continue to be stacked against you, keep fighting (after King Arthur cuts off both of the Black Knight’s arms, the Knight responds: “It’s just a flesh wound.” You get the picture).

So when you watch the YouTube video of Hufnagel’s speech — “We are playing Montreal, in Montreal. We are playing on the road. We are playing in a dome. We are playing in front of 65,000 screaming fans. Men, we’ve got them right where we want them.” — you may see it in a different context.

By the way, Hufnagel won’t begin preparing his pre-game speech for Sunday’s game against the Argonauts until the morning of the game.

“I wait to see what the vibe is, what has occurred (in the days leading up the game) and what I think is necessary to expound on,” he explained.

SIMPSON PLANS TO PLAY

After sitting out Sunday’s win in B.C. with an ankle injury, veteran middle linebacker Juwan Simpson wasn’t about to run any sprints on Monday to prove that he’s healthy enough to play on Sunday in Toronto.

“Not a chance,” he said with a smile on Monday. “I don’t need to go out and run; it’s an off-day. On a work day, I’ll go to work. But (the ankle) is not an issue at all. I feel like I’ve made a lot of improvement from last week, and a few more days of rest I’ll be good to go.”

Simpson had words of praise for the efforts of his replacement, rookie Deron Mayo — “It was a definite comfort seeing him out there doing a good job,” said Simpson — but the thought of not playing in the biggest game of the year does not sit well.

“It would definitely kill me. Definitely,” said Simpson. “I don’t plan on dying any time soon, so therefore I’ll see you on Sunday.”

YOU’VE BEEN KISSED

Stamps centre Jon Gott will get his first Grey Cup start on Sunday, and he’s likely to get a face-full of Adriano Belli, the veteran Toronto defensive tackle who came out of retirement a few weeks ago to resume his career as the Kissing Bandit.

“I know all about him,” nodded Gott, motioning to fellow Stamps O-lineman Obby Khan, who went head to head with Belli for years while playing in Winnipeg. “This guy has told me a lot.”

So, Obby, what should Gott expect on Sunday?

“Well, first he’s going to try to club him and then he’ll try to make out with you,” said Khan. “A club and a kiss. I’ve been on the receiving end, but I’ve been on the giving end, too. What really messes him up is when you kiss him. It blows his mind.”

Said Gott: “I’ll think about it.”

Translation: no he won’t.

MEDIA HYPE SOARING

The ongoing NHL lockout has given the CFL a chance to take some of the spotlight this fall, and that’s manifested itself in the form of more media attention, said Stamps running back Jon Cornish.

“I’ve noticed that you have hockey people on the sideline at football games and you have hockey reporters talking about football, which is extremely novel,” he said. “Quite often what they have to say is negative. But think as a team that has really helped us, because now we’re equipped to deal with what will probably the most media hype of all time in the Grey Cup.”

TATE TURNED CHEERLEADER

Kevin Glenn has taken enough trash talk from fans over the years to make his brilliant performance in Sunday’s win over B.C. even more memorable.

But, said Glenn on Monday, it’s the feeling within the Stamps locker-room that’s giving him such good vibes.

“I mean, words can’t describe it when your peers shake your hand and tell you that, man, you played a hell of a game, and we’re glad you’re getting this success,” he said. “One guy in particular, Drew Tate — after every pass, after every touchdown coming off the field, he was the first person to greet me. It’s great to have a guy like that on your team who feels that way about you, being that we both compete for the same job. And it’s vice versa, when he was out there, I was the guy congratulating him.”

DEANE WON’T RELIVE INJURY HORROR

Stamps left guard J’Micheal Deane will make his first appearance at the Rogers Centre since he suffered a gruesome broken leg in the Stamps’ loss to the Argos last October.

But Deane, who played his high school football in Toronto, has no mixed feelings about returning to the stadium.

“I mean, injuries suck, but it hasn’t been bothering me all year,” said Deane. “I feel pretty much back to normal. You basically have to keep those thoughts out of your mind or you’re going to play scared, and you can’t be scared out there.”

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